


Meeting the Family: A Three Part Mini Opera

by Stay_Frosty



Series: Meeting the (tight-knit) Family [1]
Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn, Legally Blonde - All Media Types, Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: Emmett is Marvin and Trina's oldest, F/M, Hints of Trans Emmett, Insecurity, Meet the Family, write a fic that isn't a falsettos crossover i nominate me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24770251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stay_Frosty/pseuds/Stay_Frosty
Summary: Emmett knew that something was bothering his girlfriend: it was obvious by the way she’d been acting for the last week and a half. She was quieter than usual - much less bubbly and didn’t get excited over the little things she usually did, not even the absolutely adorable picture of a puppy he had shown to her in an attempt to cheer her up.Or, Elle is nervous about meeting Emmett's family.
Relationships: Dr. Charlotte/Cordelia (Falsettos), Emmett Forrest/Elle Woods, Trina/Mendel Weisenbachfeld, Whizzer Brown/Marvin
Series: Meeting the (tight-knit) Family [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899739
Comments: 60
Kudos: 171





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently i am incapable of writing anything that doesn't include falsettos characters i have no excuse just hyper-fixation innit. Let me know what you think!

Emmett knew that something was bothering his girlfriend: it was obvious by the way she’d been acting for the last week and a half. She was quieter than usual - much less bubbly and didn’t get excited over the little things she usually did, not even the absolutely adorable picture of a puppy he had shown to her in an attempt to cheer her up. So yeah, there was definitely something that was getting to Elle, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was. 

He brought it up a few days ago, asked if everything was alright but she’d quickly brushed him off with an ‘Of course I am, silly!’ and a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. So, he decided that now, sitting on her bed with a book in his hand as she did her makeup in the mirror was the best time to bring it up again. “Baby?” 

She perked up at the nickname and looked over to Emmett. “Yeah?” she responded. Her voice was cheerful, yet there was an edge to it that would likely go unnoticed by most people. However, Emmett wasn’t ‘most people’, he knew her better than anyone else and his heart sank and the subtle sadness to Elle’s voice. 

“C’mere,” he said, moving over and patting the space next to him on the bed. Her brows knitted together in confusion, but she put down the mascara wand and took a place beside him anyway. “You know you can talk to me,” he said, laying a gentle hand just above her knee. 

Elle rolled her eyes playfully and nudged him. “I’m fine, Em! I already told you.” 

Emmett nodded but wasn’t convinced, and Elle's cheerful demeanour deflated as she saw the sad look in his eye. “You just haven’t seemed yourself for a few days,” he said softly, lacing their fingers together. “I wanted to know if there’s any way I could help.” 

“You’re too sweet,” she responded. The little crack in her voice didn’t go unnoticed, and knowing this she looked down to avoid eye contact. “But I promise everything is fine, you don’t have to worry.” 

Lifting her chin up gently with two fingers gave Emmett a good look at her face, and he noticed the tears gathering on top of her freshly done makeup. The droplets turned a translucent black as a few stray tears ran down her cheeks. “Please tell me what’s going on,” he almost begged. “Whatever it is we’ll fix it, you’re not on your own.” 

Leaning away from his touch, she dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt and all but whimpered “you’ll think it’s silly.”

Emmett shook his head and wrapped an arm around the teary-eyed blonde, pulling her body closer to his. Fortunately she seemed to welcome the comfort. At the very least, he figured, it wasn’t something that he had done to upset her. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he soothed gently. “You know I would never find any of your problems silly.” 

He felt her nod against his shoulder, then she sat up to dry her eyes again. “I know,” she responded in earnest. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m just-” she paused to collect her thoughts. “I’m nervous about meeting your family.” 

Oh, Emmett thought. That sorta made sense - not that Elle had absolutely any reason to fear his parents, or the rest of his family for that matter. The timing though, that made sense. They were flying to New York in less than two days, and it was around the time he brought up the idea that she started acting weird. 

“Baby they’ll love you! How could they not?” 

Elle huffed an empty laugh as she turned her head from his once more. “I just know how much your mom means to you, and even though you might not have the closest relationship with your dad you’re still desperate to impress him and-” her voice broke as her speech continued to accelerate. 

Emmett immediately enveloped her in a tight hug, which she fell into and lay her head on his chest as more tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. God, the sound of her crying always did break his heart. Elle was always such a bright and bubbly person, a fluffy pink ray of sunshine that lit up any room she was in - so when she broke, it would hit her hard. “My mom will love you, Elle. There’s just no way she wouldn’t. My dad too.” 

She didn’t respond, but Emmett could identify her faint whimpering despite the effort she made to cover it. “Hell, I think they’re all just impressed that I actually have a girlfriend, Jason didn’t even believe me when I first told him,” he told her, figuring that if he couldn’t change her mind about being nervous he could at least lighten the mood for now. One step at a time. He didn’t get much of a reaction, but he did hear her giggle slightly which was good enough for now. “Imagine how thrilled they’re going to be when they realise that said girlfriend is not only absolutely stunning-”, Elle blushed and let out a fond giggle. Emmett continued “but kind, and sweet and caring and so goddamn intelligent.” 

Elle lifted her head from his chest and linked her fingers together to replace the contact. “It’s just that - Warner’s parents didn’t think I was good enough for him and he ended up breaking up with me,” she strained. “And we together years Emmett! Years! Besides, I’m basically meeting your whole family! I have aunts and step dad’s and little brother’s to impress and I just don’t want them all to hate me!”

Emmett blinked owlishly, bewildered and heart broken. Was she frightened he was going to leave her? “Elle,” he began, his voice deadly serious. “I love you, nothing in the world is going to change that. You know that, right?”

No response. “Sweetheart they could hate your guts and I wouldn’t even think about leaving you,” he said frantically, desperate to convince her. “But they won’t hate you, they’ll love you just as much as I do. I promise.” 

With the pad of his thumb, Emmett gently wiped her eyes and planted a delicate kiss on her forehead. The blonde looked like she was going to say something, but promptly shut her mouth. 

“Talk to me,” Emmett begged. Elle sighed and began to scratch at her nails. “You were the first person to have faith in me,” she explained, her sombre voice laced with pure, unhidden emotion. “Even when I thought Callahan was finally seeing me as something other than a nuisance, he wanted nothing more than my body. I guess I’m just worried that one day you’ll see what everyone else sees.” 

He knew that what Callahan did got to her at the time, but Emmett thought that they’d moved passed that after she aced the Wyndham trial.. Even thinking about him filled Emmett with rage, a rage that his usually passive and collected personality saved just for Elle - the girl he’d protect with his life. What Callahan did was unacceptable, and he was even more pissed off when he realised that that perv was part of the reason why his beautiful, incredibly wonderful girlfriend was in tears right now. 

“What he did to you was wrong, so wrong, and I am so sorry that you had to go through that,” he said with compassion. “But you are so much more than that. Don’t let that monster kill your sparkle. There is not a day that goes by where I think about how lucky I am to have you.” 

Elle let out another self deprecating giggle and nudged Emmett, almost playfully. 

“I’m serious, Elle! You light up my world, there isn’t a single thing that I would change about you.” 

The desperation in Emmett's voice was clear. All he wanted was for his girlfriend to see how incredible she was. She was confident, sure, and handled most situations with unwavering certainty. There were still scars though, scars left by Warner, by Callahan, by every single one of her classmates who teased and tortured her during her first semester. By those who didn’t understand her, those who found the way she couldn’t sit still for more than five minutes irritating, by those who were easily annoyed by the way she spoke so passionately about a topic she’d fixated on at the time. 

But Emmett? He loved those things, he loved hearing about the latest vogue magazine, even two weeks after it had been released. He loved the way she explained in great detail her favourite fashion designers, even if he didn’t understand a word of what she was saying. He loved her: every inch of her. 

“And you know what? You were the first person to have faith in me too. You accepted that I was a boy,” he paused and made a subtle effort to lower his voice. “Uh, a man. You just accepted me right away, no questions asked - and you didn’t have that confused ‘whatever you say’ look in your eye like everyone else had when I came out. Elle you even took me shopping - that was the first time i’d felt comfortable in my skin in god knows how long.”   
” 

Elle looked up at him, a genuine smile gracing her face. “I guess we make a pretty good team,” she cheerfully responded. “Thanks Emmett, I love you.” 

“I love you too” 


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elle meets half of the family
> 
> TW // ILLNESS  
> \- there is a slight reference to Whizzer being hospitalized. I wrote it as a false alarm and it was a very passing comment but please be aware!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoy this chapter! (mendel, charlotte and cordelia while be introduced next chapter - don't worry)

The days passed quickly and soon Elle and Emmett were preparing to head to New York. While Elle was busy deciding between which top she was going to wear, Emmett was dealing with the more important matters. 

“Okay so, if we drop Bruiser off with Paulette at about 10.30, we can make it to the airport for about 11, sound good?” 

Emmett usually took the train down to visit his family, but when he suggested the idea Elle looked at him like he had two heads. After spending at least an hour being told the benefits of getting a plane instead, he gave in. How could he ever say no to her? 

“Yep! Sounds perfect!” she called, her voice sweet and cheerful once more. After spending 10 more minutes debating tops, downing a can of Redbull and presenting a speech to Bruiser, in her best puppy voice, about how ‘mommy loves him and will be back in a few days, but that he’s going to have a really good time with Auntie Paulette’, Elle was ready to leave. 

The plane was, unsurprisingly, very nice. It was nicer than anything Emmett had ever been on, but he did leave Elle in charge of booking it so he really shouldn’t have expected anything different. They had planned to spend the journey studying, but after about half an hour Elle was already dozing off, her head resting on Emmett’s shoulder. When they arrived in New York, they took a taxi to his mom’s house. Elle was trying her hardest to keep composed but Emmett could tell from her anxious humming that she was still nervous. She tapped her leg repetitively throughout the journey and offered an apologetic smile when Emmett laced their fingers together to soothe her. 

Soon enough, they pulled up outside his childhood home, somewhere of which he held bittersweet memories. The nicer ones usually stemmed from the time he was too young to see through the cracks of his parents' marriage and his father’s adultery. The memories that followed left a sour taste in his mouth, and he wasn’t too ashamed to admit that the very reason he chose law in the first place was so he had an excuse to get as far away from his family as possible. However, the Forrests slowly but surely began to repair themselves, both parents much happier in their new relationships, and while Emmett didn’t know Mendel and Whizzer as well as he could, he was thankful that despite being key factors in his family’s breakdown, they were also the soothing balm and the glue that kept it together. 

“Ready?” he turned to Elle before pressing the doorbell. She nodded, the shy look in her eye slowly returning the longer they waited. A part of Emmett couldn’t help but feel the same as he anxiously waited for someone to answer. After a few agonizingly long seconds, the door swung open, revealing Jason behind it. He was much taller than he was the last time Emmett saw him, yet looked as doe-eyed and as innocent as he had years ago. They’d kept in contact via the phone, but Emmett was almost ashamed to admit that he didn’t visit home nearly as much as he probably should. 

“Oh, Hi Emmett!” the kid beamed, then turned his attention towards Elle. “Is this your girlfriend?” 

Elle blushed but smiled sweetly nonetheless, sticking her hand out for Jason to take. “It’s nice to meet you!” she replied, mirroring his excitement. “I’m Elle Woods.” 

Emmett couldn’t help the grin that crawled across his face as he saw Elle’s nerves slowly disappear as Jason began to ramble on about everything that he’d missed. “Oh! And dad bought me a new chessboard! The old one was fine but I don’t think he really knows what else i like, which is understandable because I honestly only really like chess, we should play later! I’ve missed playing with you Emmett! Whizzer tries playing with me sometimes but he’s not very good at it- and Mendel tries but he honestly still doesn’t understand the rules. I don’t know how he’s a psychiatrist. Elle, do you like chess?” 

“Woah buddy, breathe,” Emmett chuckled. “Let us put our bags away before you start bombarding us, yeah?” 

Jason’s cheeks went rosy as he nodded, an apologetic look in his eye. However, when Emmett looked over to his girlfriend, she had an excited look in her eye as she stared down at the younger boy. “I would absolutely love to play chess with you later, Jason!” she cried with a smile on her face. 

“Jason, sweetheart? Who are you talking to?” he heard a voice call from the kitchen. Emmett couldn’t help but grin as his mother came into view, an apron around her waist and a rolling pin in her hand. “Oh Emmett!” she exclaimed as she dropped the tool onto the sofa, making her way over to her eldest’s open arms. 

“Hey mom,” he smiled as he pulled her into an embrace, relishing in the motherly comfort that he hadn’t felt in far too long. When she showed no signs of pulling away, he only held her tighter. “I’ve missed you so much,” he murmured into her hair. She eventually pulled away and cupped his jaw with both of her hands. 

“I’ve missed you too, sweetie,” she smiled, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. “You look so handsome!” 

He couldn’t help but beam at the compliment. He had to admit that he was a little bit nervous about seeing his parents, knowing that he had changed a lot since the last time he’d seen them. His voice, for example, was much deeper, his jaw wider and more refined - he was taller too - which is something he hadn’t paid much attention to until he realised that he now had to lean forwards slightly to hug his mother. “Oh, mom! This is Elle” he said, moving out of the way so Elle was in view. There she stood, that sweet, beaming smile seemed to be permanently plastered on her face - it was a look he would never get tired of. 

His mother’s face somehow softened even more as she smiled and made her way over to Elle, wiping her palms against her apron.. “it’s lovely to meet you! Emmett has told me so much about you - my name is Trina!” 

“It’s so nice to finally meet you!” Elle beamed, taking Trina’s hand. “I’ve heard so much about you too!” 

It was true; of course, Emmett missed all of his family - but there wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t think about his mom. She was his rock, which is why his relationship with his father was so rocky after their divorce. Logically, Emmett knew that his dad could not help who he was, not more so than Emmett could help who he was, but he was allowed to be pissed on his mother’s behalf. 

He and Elle took a few minutes to take their bags upstairs into Emmett’s childhood room, which had thankfully been turned into a much more mature looking guest room at some point. His twin bed with the dark blue sheets had been replaced by a double with soft white sheets and even a royal blue bed scarf draped over the bottom of it. The desk of which Emmett’s endless notes were constantly scattered across had been removed entirely - as was his closet, a small set of drawers taking its place, making the room appear much bigger than it previously had done. His windowsill looked almost strange without the never ending collection of coffee cups that used to litter it. 

Emmett glanced over to Elle who was already busying herself with unpacking and gently folding her t-shirts into a drawer. He lay a gentle hand on her back. “How are you doing?” he asked softly when she looked up at him. Elle sent him a smile, one that said ‘trust me’ as she responded: “I’m fine, honestly.” 

In under ten minutes, the couple had already retreated downstairs, ready to be faced with the rest of the family. Admittedly, Emmett was a little bit nervous about seeing his father again. He’d changed, according to Jason, after a health scare with Whizzer which made him get his priorities in place. Reflecting back, Emmett thinks he probably should have been there to support his father through that time. It seemed they both had some changing to do. 

His worries dissolved however when he found himself actually face to face with Marvin. His dad had not changed a lot in appearance, save for the fact that his face seemed softer - less full of constant stress and anger - less full of hatred for himself. Marvin smiled upon seeing his eldest, a genuine grin - if not a tiny bit sheepish - that Emmett wasn’t sure he had ever seen from his father. “Hey dad,” he breathed, relieved more than anything else that his dad was happy to see him. 

“Hey kid,” Marvin responded in the same tone, despite Emmett being into his 20s now. He spent a moment taking in his son’s appearance - realising with a start how similar they looked now that Emmett had been on T for a little while. One thing had not changed though - he had his mother’s eyes. His smile remained as he noticed the blonde standing sheepishly behind Emmett. “You must be Elle,” he said, offering a hand, which she took straight away. “It’s lovely to meet you, sweetheart. I’m Marvin.” 

The two exchanged pleasantries before Emmett glanced around the room. “Where’s Whizzer?” 

“He’s in the den with Jace,” Marvin explained before leading the two into said room. Emmett wasn’t overly sure what to expect as they entered the den, but it certainly was not a sight as domestic as the one he was met with. There sat Whizzer, the man he had spent his teenage years despising, on the sofa with Jason tucked under his arm as they watched some movie. It was strange to see someone who he had accused of being a homewrecker, someone who had torn his family apart, be so... _sweet_ with his little brother. 

“Hey babe, Jason and I are watching-” Whizzer paused as he spotted the boy standing by his lover. “Hi Emmett,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically shy. A few years ago, the man couldn’t give two shits about what Marvin’s eldest thought of him - after all, he was never planning to become a more permanent figure in the kid’s life. They didn’t have to have a meaningful connection because Whizzer was nothing more than the new man fucking his father, and if that’s all Emmett saw him as then so be it. That was before he had gotten to know Jason, before he became more of a step-dad than he did a stranger, before he realised that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Marvin - it hurt now to think that Emmett hated his guts. 

“Hey Whizzer,” Emmett replied, without a trace of bitterness in his voice - which admittedly surprised everyone in the room. “It’s nice to see you again.” 

Whizzer, as usual, was dressed immaculately in what Emmett could only assume to be some designer clothes that Emmett had no idea about, despite his girlfriend’s enthusiasm on the subject. Hey, maybe she knew- ah, of course, she did, Emmett realised when he noticed the excited look on Elle’s face. He knew that look - it was the look that told him he was going to be roped into a 10-minute conversation on a topic he had absolutely no idea about - which was fine since Elle would do most of the talking anyway. That and the fact that Emmett loved hearing the way she spoke about topics she was passionate about. 

“Oh my gosh,” Elle all but squealed. “Is that Jacquemus?” 

Whizzer’s face lit up. “Finally!” the older man beamed, sitting up slightly, although he kept his arm firmly wrapped around Jason’s shoulders. “Someone in this house with taste!” 

Emmett thought that he had vaguely heard the name before, no doubt from Elle, but would not have been able to identify the shirt. Regardless, he was thrilled that there was someone in his family that Elle could truly click with. He exchanged a look with his dad, who seemed as lost as he was as Whizzer and Elle chatted to one another about clothes, Elle chuckling sweetly when he made a passing comment about their men having _“absolutely no style whatsoever”._

Knowing his girlfriend would be far too modest to brag about her grades, Emmett casually slipped in that she had a 4.0 in fashion merchandising from UCLA, which sparked yet another conversation topic between the two. Emmett slowly began to realise that maybe Whizzer wasn’t so bad after all, the kind way in which he spoke to Elle admittedly making him feel bad for all the horrible comments he had made about his dad’s boyfriend when he was a hormonal teenager. 

Maybe his family was not so bad after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys so much for reading! comments and kudos are very much appreciated!


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elle meets Mendel and Emmett's Aunties - fluff ensues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my goood it took me way longer than i intended to write this and i am so sorry for that! i am so thankful that the first two chapters are STILL receiving such sweet comments, and it makes me so happy that you guys enjoyed this story! i hope you guys hadn't given up on this fic entirely! love you xx

“Em?” he heard Elle call, her voice as sweet and as soft as ever. Emmett, sitting on the bed of his childhood room, looked up from his hands as she lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. He leant into the familiar contact. “Are you okay?” 

When his eyes met hers he couldn’t prevent the small smile that formed on his lips. He had never believed in putting your happiness into the hands of another person, being raised in the midst of a failing marriage would do that to you, he figured, but the minute Elle bounced into his life like a sparkly ray of sunshine he had changed his mind entirely. 

Emmett practically purred as her hand shifted, running gently through the strands of his thick hair and teasing away at any knots that had formed as the result of his habit of tugging on it when he was under stress. The gentle scratch of her nails against his scalp was enough to ease his thoughts. 

“Everything is...different,” he murmured as she took a seat next to him, her fingers soon returning to their place in his hair. 

She hummed. “Good different or bad different?” 

He couldn’t suppress the humourless chuckle that escaped his lips. “Good different,” he said softly. “I mean did you see Whizzer with Jason?” 

“Yeah, they were very sweet.” 

“I  _ hated _ him,” Emmett cried, furrowing his brows. “I spent my teenage years blaming _ him _ for everything but...oh, Elle, I don’t know.” 

He felt his girlfriend lay her head on his shoulder, the blonde locks of her hair tickling his jaw. The feeling was strangely grounding. “I get it, honey,” she assured gently, lacing their hands together and squeezing. 

“I’ve never seen my dad this happy before,” Emmett admitted. “Or my mom, for that matter.” 

He took a breath and focussed on the way Elle’s hand felt in his. Hers were dainty, her skin smooth and her fingers slim compared to his which were bigger, his nails bitten down and the skin rougher, yet they fit together perfectly. 

It had dawned on him, earlier that day as he watched his brother interact with Whizzer, a toothy grin on his face as he looked up to the man with adoration that perhaps Emmett had judged him too harshly. That perhaps, he should have accepted his father for who he was, the way he had been so desperate for Marvin to do for him. 

“Honey,” Elle said as if reading his mind. “You can’t blame yourself. You were a kid who saw his mom being treated badly...you’re allowed to have that chip on your shoulder.” 

He chuckled lightly - maybe he had been a little pushy when they had first met, but his sombre mood soon enveloped the sweet memory. “I haven’t visited in _ years _ , Elle, not even for Hanukkah or Passover,” he snapped. “I didn’t even visit when Whizzer was in the hospital.” 

He felt a careful arm snake around his waist, Elle’s gentle fingers kneading the soft flesh of his side. “Emmett, sweetheart,” she began, her voice soft and loving yet firm. He could listen to it forever. “You spent your childhood in a broken family, it’s okay that you removed yourself from that situation.”

He sighed, allowing his eyes to flutter shut as he leaned into Elle’s comforting presence. “I don’t know what the hell I’d do without you,” he said earnestly - because it was true. Elle made his stomach twist and his heart flutter and all of those other tropes you’d read about in books and scoff at. 

He hadn’t even thought about love until he met Elle. He thought relationships were nothing more than an unnecessary distraction, that only fools would prioritise a person over their goals - and then he met her. She had been so different than every other person he had met; so unafraid to be herself yet so determined to make a difference. 

When he first started Harvard, his future revolved entirely around his career, but now? Well, a house and a family with the incredible girl beside him sounded like paradise. 

She laughed sweetly, and his smile automatically matched hers. “Crash and burn,” she teased playfully, but she was probably right. “Come on, your family are gonna wonder where we’ve gone.” 

Emmett agreed, suddenly feeling guilty for disappearing only an hour or so after seeing his family again. When they retreated downstairs, the first thing Emmett noticed was Jason’s grin as he played chess against a man who Emmett recognised to be Mendel. When he had known the man previously, he had been nothing more than his father's psychiatrist. Emmett had only met him a handful of times, once when his mother had gotten engaged (and told him just how much it would mean to her if he'd meet her new fiancee), and then again on their wedding day. He hadn’t changed much since Emmett had last seen him, but it did strike him how good the man was with Jason, even if he was ludicrously bad at chess. 

It seemed his little brother had been surrounded by a much healthier family than he had, but Emmett couldn’t find it within himself to be envious. Jason had dealt with the brunt of the divorce, and deserved the reap the benefits that came out of it, he figured. 

“Oh hey, Emmett,” his brother greeted, a smile on his lips that Emmett was suddenly realising he had missed seeing. When Emmett had previously lived here, his brother was mostly cynical and would seldom smile - it seemed that he had cut himself off from the world. Granted, Emmett had done the same, but it was nice to see Jason’s change in tone. 

“Hey, pal,” he said to the kid, waving awkwardly at the psychiatrist as he turned around to meet Emmett’s gaze. The older man returned the smile, taking a stand momentarily (not before assuring Jason they’d continue their game in a minute) and shaking Emmett’s hand firmly. 

“It’s good to see you again,” Mendel said, Emmett responded with a simple “you too.” 

Any conversation in the meantime was nothing beyond small talk, but it was easy and there was very little awkwardness to it. Emmett supposed the other man was used to making light conversation with clients, part of his profession being making them feel comfortable enough to open up to him. Emmett could envision it easily; Mendel was easy going and gentle - talkative, yet didn’t dominate the conversation - it seemed psychiatry was the perfect field for him. 

He and Elle got along fine, perhaps not having too much in common, but their positive and easy-going personalities meant for good conversation - and if anything Elle was simply delighted to get to know yet another one of her boyfriend’s family members. 

Emmett was more than thankful that his family seemed to like her - not that he expected any less. She was a difficult person to dislike; her sunny personality could win over even the most cynical of personalities - and Emmett found it difficult to picture Warner’s parents ever disapproving of her. Although he was selfishly thankful that they did. 

Time passed admittedly very quickly, and soon enough after beating Mendel, Jason was setting up another game to play with Elle. He carefully explained the rules until Elle, that wonderful look of determination on her face as they began playing. 

If it were any other kid, Emmett would have likely expected her to go easy on him, except both he and Mendel had warned her not to. Jason was a lot of things, an idiot was not one of them. The kid was unbelievably intelligent for his age - and eventually did end up winning the game. 

“You need to come here more often, Elle,” Jason said, his tone very serious. “You were actually difficult to beat.” 

Elle grinned widely, her cheeks turning rosy. Her eyes sparkled with that sense of achievement Emmett had seen time and time again, whether it be something as huge as winning a trial or, in this instance, being liked by a child. 

“I will, honey,” she assured sweetly. “I promise.” 

Emmett found his smile matched hers perfectly.

It was only a few minutes later that the doorbell had rung, and suddenly a very cheerful voice rang through the room. Emmett’s lips curved into an amused smile. “My Aunt Delia,” he explained, catching Elle’s curious eyes and motioning for her to come through into the other room. 

There stood Cordelia, her arms filled with container after container of food, Charlotte beside her holding almost as many. “I went a little bit overboard on the starters, but I made Whizzer taste test them last night and he said they were delicious!” she beamed, her voice no less enthusiastic than Emmett had remembered it being when he was a child. It was nice to see that some things didn’t change. 

He noticed Charlotte smile fondly at the blonde, shaking her head in agreement. “Dee never knows when to stop cooking,” she said, helping Trina take the extra amounts of food. 

Cordelia turned a shade of crimson, grinning sheepishly as she began to stack the Tupperware containers onto the kitchen counters. “Well Marvin and Whizzer certainly aren’t complaining!” she argued light-heartedly. “Those boys would be living on take-out if it weren’t for my excessive portion sizes!” 

Emmett smiled, shaking his head amusedly at her comment. It was typical that his father hadn’t bothered learning to cook by now - not that he could do much better. He tried of course, but Elle would often tut and push him out of the way - taking over entirely. Like father like son, he supposed. 

When he caught Cordelia’s eye, the blonde all but squealed in excitement. She carelessly put down the rest of the food, allowing it to scatter across the table in contrast to the neat pile of the other containers before rushing over to his side. “Oh my goodness, Emmett!” she said, a grin on her face. “You look so freaking handsome!”

“Hey Aunt Delia,” Emmett grinned, bringing her into a hug which she very quickly (and tightly) reciprocated. She pulled away for a few seconds, her eyes dancing over his face, taking in his appearance before hugging him once more. 

“You need to visit more, young man! I’ve missed the heck out of you!” 

The comment was lighthearted and playful, but Emmett couldn’t help the wave of guilt that washed over him when he heard it. “I know, I’m sorry,” he said earnestly. “I’ll be sure to come down more, I promise.” 

“Good!” Cordelia responded, wagging a finger at him in false reprimand before breaking out into another huge grin. “Are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend or are you gonna just let her stand there?” 

Emmett smiled sheepishly, turning to Elle before taking her hand. She seemed much more at ease now that she had done earlier, which was reassuring - it seemed the more members of his ever-growing family she was acquainted with, the more relaxed she became. “Aunt Delia, this is Elle - my girlfriend,” he introduced, grazing his thumb gently across Elle’s knuckles. 

She squeezed his hand to let him know she was doing okay. “It’s really nice to meet you!” she beamed, matching Cordelia’s enthusiasm. They exchanged pleasantries and basic questions like how she and Emmett met, her classes and Delia’s catering career. And of course, Cordelia couldn’t go one conversation without swooning over Charlotte as if they hadn’t been together years. It was adorable, quite frankly, the way she would smile shyly and blush whilst she talked about her lover. 

“Hey Char!” she called through to the kitchen, her cheeks still rosy. “Get in here!” 

Charlotte complied, appearing in the doorway only a few moments later, a grin forming on her lips as she spotted Emmett. “You look so much like your father,” she praised, pulling him into an embrace. Had someone told Emmett that the last time he visited, he would have perhaps taken offence; when he was growing up he swore to be nothing like his father. 

Yet then, when he looked through into the kitchen and saw the man helping to set the table, a vibrant smile on his face as he reacted to some joke that Whizzer had made - the pair sickeningly adorable - but more importantly happy, Emmett realised that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all. 

His mother seemed happy too, the lines of stress he was used to seeing mark her face dissolved as she laughed along as well, and Emmett found himself mirroring her smile. His thoughts were disrupted by a gentle hand on his back. 

“He’s changed, kid,” Charlotte said, her voice surprisingly gentle. “I don’t blame you for leaving but he’s different. Makes more of an effort.” 

Emmett nodded in agreement. “I can see that,” he responded. “He’s...more relaxed I think.” 

Charlotte hummed. “It scared him when he thought Whizzer was sick, made him sort himself out.” 

The boy sighed. “I should have visited.” 

The hand on his back travelled to his waist, and eventually, Charlotte brought him into a sideways embrace. “No you shouldn’t have; it was a mess,” she told him firmly. “You were allowed to be angry. You still are - it’s okay if you haven’t quite forgiven him yet.” 

Emmett huffed a humourless laugh. “I’m getting there, Auntie Char.” 

Without hesitation, she clapped him on the back, her entire demeanour shifting. She turned, Emmett following suit, to Elle and Jason who were still rambling to one another. The smile had never left Elle’s lips. “You must be Elle,” Charlotte said, offering a hand. “I’m Charlotte.” 

Elle grinned and shook her hand. “Elle Woods!” 

“Dinner’s ready!” Emmett heard his mother’s voice, and without hesitation laced his fingers with Elle’s, leading through into the dining room. Already seated at the table were Marvin, Whizzer and Cordelia - Mendel hovering and attempting to help his wife serve the food. 

The atmosphere was...nice. There seemed to be very little awkwardness surrounding the large group, which admittedly took Emmett by surprise. Sure, separately each member of his family was tolerable by themselves or in pairs, but he was bracing himself for some element of animosity when they were gathered together as a whole. Instead, Whizzer told jokes that they’d all light-heartedly chuckle at, Jason talked about school and his baseball team and everyone, even his father, listened with nothing but interest. Emmett learned that Cordelia’s catering business was flourishing, that Whizzer had taken up photography, hell even that his dad enjoyed playing racquetball. 

It was all so natural, and part of him felt like he didn’t quite fit into the newfound bond that they all had with one another - yet at the same time he had never felt more at home than he did in that moment. He and Elle were included in the conversation, the two of them praised for their success and asked endlessly about their relationship, but he still couldn’t help but worry that he’d missed so much. 

“So, how did you two meet?” Trina had asked, and Elle very quickly began gushing about how Emmett had helped her study and pushed her in the right direction - that he had changed her life for the better in so many ways. Emmett found himself looking down into his food, hiding the small grin on his face when he heard her speak so highly of him. 

“Awwww!” he heard his aunt Cordelia squeal from the other side of the table. “Look at that! He’s blushing!” 

The heat in his cheeks only intensified at her comment, and he quickly felt a hand take his under the table. He looked beside him to Elle, her cheeks also fairly rosy, who was wearing a sweet smile on her face as she recalled the memory. 

“Hey dad,” Jason’s curious voice piped up. “How did you meet Whizzer?” 

Emmett saw his father choke on his drink and had to suppress his own smile. His dad never had told him how he and Whizzer met - but he had a fair idea that it involved a seedy bar on the outskirts of the city and a dirty public bathroom. Red-faced and flustered, Marvin stared wide-eyed at his youngest son. He was clearly a terrible liar, and Emmett wondered how he managed to keep his affair secret for so long. 

Thankfully, Whizzer was much calmer under pressure. “Through work, buddy,” he explained simply, returning to his food. 

Perhaps that answer would have been enough for most kids, but most kids weren’t like Jason. The boy furrowed his brows and stared directly at Whizzer. “But my dad’s a lawyer,” he pointed out skeptically. 

Even Whizzer didn’t know what to say in response to that, he just stared back at the boy, mouth agape. 

“Okay!” Trina finally cut through the horrendous silence. “Who’s ready for dessert?”

They ate dessert in more or less silence, the conversation well and truly killed by Jason’s curiosity, but it was all still very comfortable. After wolfing down the treat, Jason impatiently asked to be excused from the table. After that, the others began to disperse, Charlotte and Cordelia, being the first to go home, soon followed by Marvin and Whizzer. 

Before leaving, Marvin brought his eldest into a bone-crushing embrace, which Emmett found himself very easily melting in to. “I really missed you, kid,” his father said with sincerity. “How long are you both staying?” 

“The week,” Emmett replied, momentarily pulling away from his dad’s grip. 

Marvin smiled. “I need to see you before you head back, call me?” 

He nodded. “I promise.” 

“It was nice to meet you, sweetheart,” his father said to Elle, Whizzer nodding in agreement before they approached the front door. 

And with that, the two of them left, Elle and Emmett soon retreating into his childhood room after saying goodnight to Trina and Mendel.  Admittedly, Emmett was thankful as soon as his head hit the soft pillows on the bed. It had been a long, emotional, nonetheless exciting day, and he suddenly found himself exhausted. 

“Your family seems nice,” Elle said as she worked on taking out her earrings. Soon enough she crawled into bed beside him, laying her head on his chest and wrapping an arm around his middle. 

Content, Emmett sighed and brought an arm around his girlfriends’ shoulder, pressing a kiss into her soft hair. “They absolutely love you,” he told her, grinning as she hummed happily in response. 

The day had been a success - and Emmett finally felt as if he had a family to regularly return home to. 

Now, onto the next challenge: meeting Elle’s parents. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and because i have attachment issues and can't quite give up on this crossover just yet - i'm making it a series of more detailed interactions between the characters! (and yes, i will probably write Emmett meeting Elle's parents at some point.
> 
> add me on tumblr: stay-frosty


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